The knowledge and skills that institutions of higher education provide their students translate into power: the power to be active members of their communities; the power to participate in the workforce; the power to be independent. Yet, just outside the doors of many urban colleges and universities are populations of people that are unable to participate and unable to achieve independence because they lack this power.
In Colorado, the Community College of Denver has responded to this reality by offering programs specially designed to meet the needs of community members who are on welfare. Through some modifications of the educational programming that it already offers, the college is able to provide the access, support, and individual attention that help meet the needs of this population.
The programs are offered at three of the college s technical education centers, each of which is located in a neighborhood with a high concentration of welfare recipients. Each year, the centers serve 2,000 welfare clients. The particular needs of the centers students demand a nontraditional method of instruction. Each center has been designed as a learning laboratory, a place where students work at their own pace according to their own schedule. Since participants often need to take breaks from their education in order to accept offers of immediate temporary employment, the program has been designed to allow them to leave and re-enter without disrupting the certification process.
Empowerment often requires more than just education. Basic job training is augmented with individual support and attention. Each student s program is designed to meet individual needs, and each student is assigned a case manager, who works with that student throughout the program.
After students complete the program, the college maintains a supportive role. If students choose to seek employment, they are offered assistance through the technical education centers. In some cases, the technical education center has identified local employers who have agreed to hire a certain number of graduates from the program. Job coaching is also available for students as they begin their new jobs. Students who wish to continue their education are given the option of enrolling at the college to pursue an associate s degree.
